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Do Fender 5 strings suck? - Whats your opinion

Do Fender 5ers Suck

  • Yes

    Votes: 109 19.9%

  • No

    Votes: 246 45.0%

  • Sometimes

    Votes: 192 35.1%
  • Total voters
    547
#101
Bassmunnky said:
No Fender Vs don't suck. I have the 2000 American standard J and the 2008 PV. String them with the taper core Fender strings. I doubt you'll get a consensus If you count the "I tried it in a store" opinions, which are not really valid depending on the condition of the bass. The do the Fender thing well.
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How is it not valid?

I tried a brand new Fender V 2012 model in a store. Once a bass touches my hands, I know within minutes if it is for me or not. It's not very complicated.

People put way too much credence into setups around here. A good player can look past a poor setup if they know how to demo a bass in a store.
 
#102
A bad setup can wreck a great bass. How do I know? I've seen awful basses transform into amazing ones after a setup.

I've played some very pricey basses in guitar stores before that I knew could have been good but were absolutely terrible because of their setups.
 
#103
thiocyclist said:
A bad setup can wreck a great bass. How do I know? I've seen awful basses transform into amazing ones after a setup.

I've played some very pricey basses in guitar stores before that I knew could have been good but were absolutely terrible because of their setups.
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I never have and I worked in a guitar store plus had my own tech on tour. I had to rate trade ins..etc, and we knew when a bass was killer and just needed a setup.

I understand what you are saying, but my point is that you should know if it's a great bass with a bad setup.
 
#104
Runnerman said:
My MIM passive Jazz was purchased to learn the 5 string. I bought it used for a song. Had the frets dressed and professionally set up with standard Slinkys and it sounds very good. It has the 5 inline tuners which I don't much like the look of but it stays in tune like a trooper. The neck feels good as well, my only complaint being the pickups, I think they are weak as has been mentioned and I will be looking to upgrade them at some point. I have compared it to many other basses and the B is middle of the road but for what I paid for it I have no complaints. As has been mentioned, in general, the really good B's are found on much more expensive instruments. The best B I have played was on a Classic Stingray5.
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I recently got ahold of a 2001 MIM Jazz V as well, plays amazingly well, great setup, nice rolled fretboard edges, "feels" just like my Am Jazz Plus, so much so that I am astounded that it is really a MIM from a particularly ****** era as well.. All that said, the B string is quite swampy. Although, in all fairness, these Mexi pickups are beyond muddy, and while the previous owner reports that he had just restrung it right before I bought it, I have no idea what kind of strings are on it.
 
#105
I own a late 90's MIA Jazz V. The B does not suck! I guess if you had somebody who tuned the B all the way up to E and then back to E a few times it would damage the string. I bought the bass, with a floppy B. I went to GC, bought a set of Roto 66 five string set. Never had a problem since. If you damage the string it will be floppy, otherwise no problem on the B. The neck is pretty, wide, big, solid...but that can be cool if you are in the right mindset. The spacing is a little more narrow than a four string jazz. But, I get a lot of compliments on mine. People think it is cooler than my other basses. But, I usually play fours anyway.
 
#106
playswhatpays said:
Yes, they suck... bad. It's basically a crime the way the took the Jazz name and stuck a ever so slightly rounded 2x4 neck on it. The bass is known for it's skinny neck for crying out loud!

I love my USA 50th Jazz, but I wouldn't pay $5 for a 5 string version if I had to keep it. Fender 5's are absolute junk.
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:rollno:

In your opinion, maybe. The Fender 5's I have owned have certainly NOT been junk, at all. Not the best low B in the world, but certainly passable, especially with the right strings. Comfortable neck, that didn't feel like a baseball bat with strings in my hands. Fit and finish was flawless on all of them that I owned, and also on the Jazz Deluxe 5 that I demo'd for a weekend.

I would have ZERO problem gigging one again.
 
#109
Brocbass said:
It all begins with the set up once it's right it the most versatile 5 around period.
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I would argue that as "the most versatile setup around period" does not exist. And if it did, it would probably have a killer active AND passive setup.

But really in addition to absolute statements like that, the thread title is too polarizing. It is like it was meant to incite an argument.

No they don't suck. A brand new bass that costs over 1k rarely "sucks". To me, it was not worth $1200, but it did not suck. If you can grab a used one for $800, go for it.

I much prefer a different style of 5. I like active/passive 5s with long scales. That is what works for my ears. And they can cost the same as the Fender, so it was a no brainer for me.
 
#111
Don't have much experience with the latest models, but I owned an RB5 that I wish I still had. IMO, one of the best basses Fender ever made, and I've owned several, although the rest have been 4 strings. Some were very good, others just ok, but no 'bad' ones. I did own for a while a Lakland Skyline JO5 that was excellent, another bass I wish I still had. If you have decent skills with setup, a bass has to be pretty bad before it's unplayable, or as you say, sucks. IMO, IME.
 
#112
I admit, the Roto 66's on my USA Jazz, can be really cool. It is heavy bass! Figuratively and Literally. Sometimes, I feel like throwing tapewounds on it, just to be able to play like Flea or something. Other times I like the beef of the Fat Roto roundwounds on it. The neck is pretty big, but sometimes this is cooler, say playing Lamb Of God or sonething.
 
#113
almightycrunch said:
I recently got ahold of a 2001 MIM Jazz V as well, plays amazingly well, great setup, nice rolled fretboard edges, "feels" just like my Am Jazz Plus, so much so that I am astounded that it is really a MIM from a particularly ****** era as well.. All that said, the B string is quite swampy. Although, in all fairness, these Mexi pickups are beyond muddy, and while the previous owner reports that he had just restrung it right before I bought it, I have no idea what kind of strings are on it.
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Basically you always have to ask if the Fender is pre 2008 or post 2008. A Pre 2008 (like my MIM2002) will have problems with the B string. "Sucks", however, is too strong. I always rated it at "barely acceptable". it sure wasn't in the class with great basses (like say my G&L L2500).

But then I started working on it. MIM pickups were terrible so those were replaced with post-2008 Am-Std. pickups and tone came alive. Added shielding to take out last bit of hum and did careful setup, new strings and modded the elctronics and it's ready to take on most B strings. OK, it's still not as great as my Modulus "to die for" B string, or even the Ken Smith, but those aren't Fender-style basses. Since like yours originally it always played amazingly well with a killer stable neck, now the whole package is simply superb.

As far as I can tell Fender has done a lot to the Post 2008 models which is essentially the fixes I put in so the answer is that no, potentially they don't suck. But depending on when it was made you may have to do a bit of work to get it up to what it can do.
 
#114
Yeah, I'd say "sucks" is a bit strong - but have to admit that as a player who is both a huge Fender fan, and a 5 string player, I've found their 5ers to be a bit "meh"... IMO/IME, EBMM, Spector, Schecter, and even Ibanez all do the 5er thing better than Fender does...


- georgestrings
 
#115
I have a 2006 MIA jazz dlx 5 and a 2011 EBMM SR5 HH. IMO the stingray has a little better low b, but the Fender wins in the playability category. Which leaves the Stingray in the case most of the time on Sundays. I also have a Squire vintage 5 which I also like.
 
#116
My '09 American Standard Precision 5-string is the most consistent, trouble-free bass I've owned out of nearly 50, including some much higher-end brands. So, I'd say this particular Fender 5-string doesn't suck. Some other ones might. Fender has made a bunch of different 5-string models, so I think it's difficult to cover them all with a blanket statement.
 
#120
As been posted before if the bass has a good set-up the b string will be fine.
I now play a Squier affinity jazz 5 and my B sounds and feels great,I do use a .130 gauge and also I put fender deluxe pre & pickups. YMMV
 

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